The UAE stand on the brink of securing only a second World Cup finals appearance.
On Tuesday, Cosmin Olaroiu's side take on Qatar in Doha looking to secure a place at next year's finals, to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The UAE's only previous World Cup appearance came in 1990.
Saturday's 2-1 comeback win over Oman has put the Emiratis in the driving seat. They top the three-team Group A with three points, while Qatar and Oman both have a point each.
Here's what the UAE need to punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Permutations
As long as they avoid defeat against Qatar on Tuesday, the UAE will qualify for a Fifa World Cup for only the second time in their history.
Should they lose, Qatar will leapfrog UAE into first place on four points and secure their place at next's year's finals.
If the UAE finish second, they will enter into another play-off against the runner-up in Group B, currently Iraq, who face Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The winner of that play-off, to be held in November, will then enter an intercontinental play-off for another chance to qualify.
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Caio Lucas celebrates after scoring the winner against Oman in the World Cup qualifier at Jassim Bin Hamed Stadium in Doha, on October 11, 2025. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE's Marcus Meloni heads home to make it 1-1. AFP -
Caio Lucas celebrates with his UAE teammates after scoring in the 83rd minute to make it 2-1 against Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE head coach Cosmin Olaroiu during the game at Jassim Bin Hamed Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE's Yahya Al Ghassani is tackled by Ahmed Al Khamisi of Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Marcus Meloni celebrates scoring for UAE against Oman in the World Cup qualifier at Jassim Bin Hamed Stadium in Doha. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Marcus Meloni celebrates scoring for the UAE in the 76th minute to make it 1-1. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE and Oman fans during the game in Qatar. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Amjad Al Harthi celebrates with Oman teammates after his shot was deflected into his own net by UAE's Kouame Kouadio. Reuters -
Oman's Khalid Al Braiki challenges for a header with UAE attacker Caio Canedo. Reuters -
Marcus Meloni after scoring for the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Oman players celebrate after Kouame Autonne's own goal. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The UAE starting XI before the match. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE fans before the game against Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE fan before the game against Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE fan before the game against Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE fans arrive before the game against Oman in Doha. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
UAE fan before the game against Oman. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Recent results against Qatar
The UAE boast an excellent recent record against Qatar, beating them home-and-away in the previous round of World Cup qualifying.
The UAE beat the Asian champions 3-1 away last September before Fabio De Lima famously scored four goals in the 5-0 thrashing of the Qataris in Abu Dhabi in November. The Brazil-born playmaker celebrated his achievement with a late-night visit to a nearby McDonald's, where he was mobbed by fans.
In total, the UAE have played their Gulf neighbours 36 times, with Qatar edging the rivalry with 14 wins to the UAE's 12 with 10 draws.
Match details
The UAE’s extraordinary support for the Qatar match will be restricted to around 1,000. Despite the tournament purportedly being a neutral play-off, world governing body Fifa granted Qatar both hosting rights and the ability to offer 90 per cent of tickets to their own fans for the game.
It means there will be a markedly different atmosphere to that of the Oman game. The UAE sold out their allocation of 5,000 tickets, and could have done so multiple times over.
The game at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium kicks off at 9pm UAE.
TV
BeIN Sports will broadcast the UAE v Qatar match live.
